


Keep with me all through the night

by LuciaGuilt, WonderVita



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Ethel is a pest, F/F, Fluff, Hecate Pippa and a cake, Hecate's guilt because we're dramatic, Hiccup needs her Pipsqueak, Mildred was just trying to help, Nightmares, Pippa is a pent-angel, SO MUCH FLUFF, miss Bat has an emergency
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 14:17:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20154973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciaGuilt/pseuds/LuciaGuilt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderVita/pseuds/WonderVita
Summary: Hecate Hardbroom just wants a second to herself but constant interruptions almost make her lose it before a certain pink witch steps in





	Keep with me all through the night

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a result of tired 4am thoughts, a sugar high, battling with technology and constant skyping. It's a love child of two shippers from different countries.  
How to write a fic long-distance 101 :D  
Hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as we did writing it

The hallways of Cackle's Academy were unusually silent. A certain tall, dark-haired witch was happy to have it that way, and to finally retreat to the potion's lab for the whole weekend. As Hecate closed the door behind her, she let out a pleased sigh. Being a teacher was her dream job, but sometimes dealing with the teenagers sucked all energy out of her.

She started collecting the ingredients for the potion, measuring every one of them precisely. Making a reversal version of a nightmare potion would not be the easiest task, so being sharp was absolutely necessary. She sat down in front of her desk, lit the fire under her cauldron and started to cut some batwings. Hecate was so concentrated that she didn't hear Ada entering to the lab. Therefore she was startled when she spoke.

“I'm sorry to barge in, Hecate, but I would need your help a bit.”

Ada was smiling her innocent and sweet smile. Hecate felt a flash of irritation crossing her mind, but since Ada trusted her and wouldn't ask her help if it wasn't important, she replied:

“Of course, what can I do for you?”

“See, as you know, the parent-teacher night is going to be on Monday and I've been preparing a speech for it. I was wondering if you could proof read it for me? I want to give the parents a warm welcome to our school.”

“Sure.” Hecate nodded with a small smile.

“Excellent!” Ada exclaimed, snapped her fingers and a piece of paper landed on Hecate's desk.

Hecate couldn't help the small sigh that escaped her as she began scanning Ada's speech but she got hold of herself immediately, furious she let it slip out in the first place. This was her duty as the deputy head and duties have to be fulfilled. Work before fun. Though the reverse nightmare potion wasn't exactly for fun. But Hecate enjoyed the challenge enough to label it as past time. The speech wasn't long, so she went through it very thoroughly. When she was done, she gave the paper back to Ada, pointing out few lines that could be changed and gave her suggestions to improve the speech.

“Thank you Hecate, I knew I could count on you.” Ada smiled gratefully.

“Anytime, Ada.” Ada gave her one last smile and vanished.

Returning to her potion, Hecate fell into a familiar routine handling her ingredients. All the slicing, chopping, crushing and grating was so deeply engraved into her muscle memory her mind went comfortably blank. She felt sure of herself in these tasks she'd polished to perfection and had repeated thousands of times. She felt safe and even caught herself smiling for a second before a very distressed miss Bat flew into the lab.

“Miss Hardbroom! It's an emergency!” The old lady was all breathless and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Hecate pinched the bridge of her nose and couldn't help but count to ten as she gathered her strength to be polite to Miss Bat. There couldn't possibly be a week when she wouldn't have an emergency.

“What is it, Miss Bat?” She asked, trying to hide the annoyance in her tone.

“I've lost Algernon! I've tried to search for him throughout the school and it's almost time for our afternoon tea.” The old witch was on the verge of tears, begging Hecate for help with her eyes.

“Mr. Rowan-Webb is a grown wizard, surely he can navigate the school grounds without any problems on his own.” Hecate kept a neutral tone but as the sentence left her mouth she realized she wasn't really sure she believed it.

“But he would never miss our tea, especially now that I have fetched some of his favourite biscuits! Miss Hardbroom, I am truly worried.”

Hecate took a deep breath “Miss Bat, are you sure there is a reason to be worried? Maybe he's just a few minutes late.”

“Algernon would not do that! He is always sharp what comes to our moments together, he knows how much they mean to me.” Miss Bat said, clearly outraged and upset that Hecate wasn't taking her seriously.

“Just stay calm, please. No need to panic, I'm sure we will find him. Actually leave it up to me. Here, have a seat.”She ushered the old witch towards her chair knowing she'll be done with the task much faster without her trailing at her heels.

Hecate snapped her fingers and vanished. She transferred throughout the whole school, but didn't encounter Mr. Rowan-Webb. Huffing and puffing to herself she appeared back in the potions lab, only to disappoint Miss Bat.

“Oh heavens, where could've he gone?” She shrieked.

“Now, Miss Bat, where did you see him last time?”

“I... I don't remember. He usually takes a nap before teatime and...” Hecate widened her eyes when she realised where Mr. Rowan-Webb was.

“Follow me, Miss Bat, I know where he is.” She transferred them both to a dark room, and with a wave of her fingers she lit the lights up. They were standing in Mr. Rowan-Webb's bedroom, which was filled with the sounds of snoring, coming from the older wizard.

“Algernon!” Miss Bat exclaimed, waking him up.

“Hmm? Who, what? Is it teatime already?”

“If you excuse me now, Miss Bat, I will return to my duties.” Hecate sighed.

“Yes, thank you so much Miss Hardbroom.” Hecate simply nodded and in a blink of an eye was standing in front of her desk again.

Releasing a deep breath she flexed her fingers and set her mind back on her potion. The comfortable, almost cosy feeling seeped back in, however it didn't stay for long. Just as she lit a fire under her cauldron, there was a knock on the door. Hecate considered ignoring it but then just gritted her teeth and straightened her back as the door slammed open. She looked into the face of a very surprised Ethel Hallow.

“What.is.it?”

Ethel quickly recovered and rushed forward.

“Miss Hardbroom! It's Mildred, she and Enid are going to-”

“Your obsession with whatever Mildred Hubble does or does not do is growing tiresome, Ethel. I suggest you find something else to occupy yourself with. An extra homework, perhaps?”

Ethel frowned, obviously confused about the turn of events.

“But...Miss Hardbroom-”

“I don't want to hear about it, now if you'll excuse me.”

And with a flick of her wrist she sent Ethel back to the hallway and shut the door behind her.

She could feel her blood bubbling in her veins, very much like her cauldron itself. One more interruption and she would lose it. She took a very deep and concentrated breath, sat down and started to add the first ingredients into the cauldron. For half an hour she was blissfully making the potion, already believing she was finally alone, when her door opened with a loud bang. She turned her head so quick she felt her neck cracking, only to see Mildred Hubble standing in front of her.

“Mildred Hubble!”

“Miss Hardbroom! You have to help us, it's Maud!”

“Mildred Hubble, I swear by the code you'll be packing your bags tonight if that's-”

“We just wanted to help her.”

“You should not be helping anyone ever, you only ever make things worse.”

“I'm sorry Miss Hardbroom, I really am. Please, help Maud.”

Mildred was looking at her with big, slightly watery eyes and for a second Hecate felt bad about taking her frustration out on her. Because, contrary to the popular belief, Hecate was not a monster.

“What exactly is the matter with miss Spellbody?”

“Her eyes...they're...a little too big.”

“A little too big” was definitely not a sufficient description of what Hecate witnessed in Maud Spellbody's room. Her eyes were more than twice their usual size. It may have even seem comical if Hecate wasn't so angry. Do these girls not understand body altering spells are extremely dangerous?

“How exactly did you manage to do this?”

Enid, who was of course in on this with Mildred, fidgeted as she, not exactly willingly, spoke.

“Well...we couldn't find a spell that would fit so we just had to...make one up?”

“MAKE ONE UP?” Hecate was furious and could feel the steam coming out of her ears.

“You ignorant little girls, a second year student especially should not even attempt such a thing, this could've ended very badly! After I help Miss Spellbody, you'll be all sent to Miss Cackle's office and have two weeks of detention.”

“Yes Miss Hardbroom.” Mildred muttered quietly, but added:

“See, she broke her glasses beyond repair and didn't want to bother her parents to buy her new ones.We thought we could come up with a spell so she wouldn't need glasses anymore.”

“Next time something like this happens, tell someone and don't try anything reckless. Am I understood?” Hecate glared at the girls, who nodded silently. Then she waved her hand and a small bottle appeared on her palm. She offered it to Maud and instructed:

“Drink the whole potion, and your eyes should be back to normal within an hour.”

“Thank you Miss Hardbroom.” Maud said and proceeded to drink the potion. After Hecate had made sure she had drank all, she vanished back to the potion lab and collapsed to sit in front of her desk. All the hope she dared to have about a calm weekend spent concentrated on a challenging potion had gone. To be completely honest, she wasn't even in the mood for potion making anymore. But this one she really needed so she decided to proceed out of pure necessity.

With strong hand movements she stirred the potion round and round, until her head started to spin. She felt tears burning behind her eyes, frustration and anger hurting her inside. She slammed her hands against the table just when there was a knock on the door. That was the last straw that made her snap. With few steady steps she was at the door and flung it open while screaming:

“ENOUGH! I DO NOT WANT...” She paused mid-sentence when she met Pippa's startled face.

“Pi-Pippa.” She muttered.

“Hiccup, is everything alright?” Pippa frowned face full of concern. She was scanning Hecate from her head to toes.

“Krhm. I was just... trying to concentrate, that's all.”

“Oh, I didn't mean to disturb, I just wanted to pop by and bring some cake for you.” Hecate gave a faint smile to Pippa, and moved aside so the blonde witch could enter the room. Pippa magicked a whole red velvet cake on the table and stared at Hecate with a worried frown. The dark witch turned to her and immediately noticed the worry in her friend’s face.  
“You’re not disturbing Pippa, you could never. I just wasn’t expecting you is all, it’s nice of you to stop by. I’m sorry, I should have given you a better welcome.”

“Hecate Hardbroom, you might be able to fool people here with your tough act, but not me. Please, darling, tell me what is wrong.”  
Hecate stiffened slightly at the endearment, not being entirely sure what to do with it.  
“Everything is fine, really. I’ve just been trying to figure out this potion and...well, I haven’t had much time to work in peace.”

“Oh? And what potion is it?”  
“A nightmare potion.”

“Why do you need a nightmare potion? Don’t even think of slipping it into Mildred Hubble’s tea.”  
“What? Pippa! Surely you don’t think I’d do such thing. In fact, I’m trying to reverse the effects of the potion and create some sort of a ward against nightmares.”

“I see. Who is it for?”

“Science.” Pippa chuckled slightly and said:

“I think even you don’t believe that.”  
“It is! It would be a valuable contribution, I’ll have you know.”

“Sure it is, I’m not doubting that even for a second, but what I’m wondering is why can’t you just admit that you’re having some troubles yourself. I wished you could trust me, Hiccup. I want to be here for you.”  
“I’m fine, Pippa. You don’t have to worry about me.” Hecate’s voice was softer this time and her words lacked her earlier conviction.

“But I do, you silly witch! I lo…” Pippa’s words faded away and she turned her head away in embarrassment. She gathered herself for a moment and then continued:

“I can’t help the fact that I sense if there’s something wrong, and I worry because I care about you.”  
“But you don’t _ need _to, you know. I’m sure you have enough to worry about with Pentangle’s and the council and…”

“Hecate, please stop! The only thing I _ want to _ worry about right now is you. I want to focus on you, and you only. For thirty years I couldn’t do that, couldn’t listen to you and now that I can, I want to. So please, let me help.” Pippa said with a sad and wavering tone.

“Toe of frog.”

“What?”  
“The potion, it needs some Toe of frog, could you get it from the shelf, please?” A bit confused, Pippa nodded and fetched the ingredient.  
Hecate returned to her potion, carefully measuring and testing.  
“Alright...I got the idea to brew this potions because...because I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I thought it may help. I’ve been taking the Wide-eye potion, to manage all my classes and duties but I was thinking...I was just thinking I could come up with something more...permanent?”

“Well… It of course would be vital for you to get some proper sleep, but wouldn’t it be more effective to think of the root of your nightmares?”

Hecate stirred the potion, strained and then stirred again.  
“Nightmares are just nightmares, Pippa. I’ve always been prone to them, I’m sure you remember.”

“I do, but they often reflect the chaos inside. They remind us about unsolved things that bother us.”

“Do you believe that?”, said Hecate more to her notebook than Pippa. She needed to double check the ingredients to make sure they weren’t in contradiction or dangerous when put together.

“As a matter of fact, yes. For example, I tend to have nightmares about unpleasant things I’m trying to push aside that would need to be confronted.”  
“Well, if I have been successful with this potion neither of us will have to worry anymore.” Hecate strained her potion one last time and poured it into a tall vial. It had a dull dark color, slightly blue-ish and it looked very thick.Pippa looked at it sceptically, not being sure what to say. Finally she sighed and said:

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t drink that, especially since you put so much effort in it, but even though it would chase your nightmares away, the root cause would still be there. The pain of your nightmares won’t go anywhere.”  
“As long as I get to sleep, I can deal with it quite well.” Pippa bit her lip, looking sadder than ever.

“As you wish, Hiccup… But frankly, I will still be worried. I’m not saying you are not strong, but no one can be strong forever, at least not alone. And you’re not alone.” Pippa tried, emphasizing every word she said.  
Hecate put the vial away and sighed. “What do you want me to do, Pippa? I’m completely exhausted, I feel I’m gonna explode if I don’t get to sleep the weekend away as I intended.”It was the moment when Pippa decided to do something rather bold. She walked up to Hecate and wrapped her arms around her, whispering into her ear:

“Talk to me dear, I will listen and help you to sleep.”  
Hecate’s normally rigid body fell limp in Pippa’s arms. She allowed herself to say that way for a while before pulling away.  
“I think it would be wise to relocate.”

“I agree. Your quarters?”  
Hecate took a deep breath and transferred them. Her fatigue was already affecting her magic. As soon as they materialized, Pippa guided Hecate to sit down on her bed, letting the dark witch lean on her slightly.

“Take your time, Hiccup. I’m in no rush.”  
“What-what should I say?”

“Anything that is on your mind. I’m not going to force you to say anything, but I get the feeling you haven’t been able to talk to anyone for a while. And no matter what, I will stay as long as needed and see that you can get some sleep.”  
Hecate’s shoulders slumped even more and she drew a shaky breath. “I...don’t think that...what I mean is...after I tell you, about everything, that-that...I think you wouldn’t want to stay then.” Pippa squeezed gently Hecate’s shoulder, looked her in the eyes and said with a warm tone:

“There is nothing in this world you could possibly say that would chase me away. At least I can’t think of anything.”  
Hearing that, Hecate squeezed her eyes shut so firmly it was painful but she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. She held her breath for as long as she dared to but eventually a sob got out. Loud and utterly undignified but Hecate just couldn’t bring herself to care at that point.  
“Pippa....I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...Pippa.”

“Shh… It’s okay dear. Let it all out.” Pippa pulled Hecate closer and held her tightly, feeling really bad for her.  
Hecate sobbed into Pippa’s shoulder, her fingers grasping at the blonde’s dress, holding tightly. 

“I’m here for you, I won’t go anywhere.” Pippa kept reassuring, and in a way glad that Hecate finally was having a good cry.  
“You will. You are going to leave me, eventually, I know you are. And I deserve it.”

“Why do you think that would happen?” Pippa asked cautiously.  
“Because I don’t deserve you, because I left you. I can never undo that.”

“I know now why, and I have forgiven that. We can’t undo our past but we can focus on the future, which means to me that I want to spend that time with you.”  
“You couldn’t have forg-wait, you...you know?” Hecate sniffed, and searched Pippa’s eyes, puzzled. 

“Well, I assumed it was because you thought I wanted to be with others more, that it was a big misunderstanding. I have forgiven that. Is there something else then?” Pippa asked, being confused.

“I..you do have the right to know but...I just can’t hurt you more. Not after what I’ve done. I dream...I dream about the broomstick competition. I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks now. But-but it’s different. I am there but you aren’t. You never arrive. And-and I know now just how much I’ve hurt you and I’ve never wanted to do that, you know. I was trying to prevent hurting you. But every night, when I’m standing there waiting for you and you never come...it hurts so much, Pippa. I have never wanted to hurt you, I loved you, I still do and I-”  
Hecate’s eyes widened after her brain caught up with her words. She froze. Pippa stared at Hecate with her mouth open. She had hard time processing the words she just heard. A very strong blush started to spread through her cheeks and she had to gasp for air. 

“I-I…” She stammered, trying to gather herself.

“I never knew… I mean the reason why I ever felt so bad about you not showing up was because… I love you too. I never had the guts to tell you cause I thought it would be the last thing you’d want to hear. I didn’t want to ruin what we managed to save after we met again. Hecate… I know you didn’t want to hurt me.” A tear escaped from the corner of her eye, landing on her shaky hands.  
Twirling her fingers slightly, Hecate conjured a black handkerchief and offered it to Pippa.

“Oh- thank you Hiccup. I should be the one offering you a handkerchief… I’m so sorry you’ve had all those nightmares, I feel so bad for you.”  
“I did deserve them, Pippa. It made me realize what I’ve done to you. And I...I understand if you won’t ever forgive me.” 

“I have forgiven you a long time ago, even before we met again. Somehow I just always knew you wouldn’t do things out of malice. You’re not a bad person, Hecate. You are someone I will always love no matter what, someone I want to share a bright future with.” Pippa smiled and took Hecate’s hand.  
Hecate lifted her eyes, scanning Pippa’s face carefully. “Pipsqueak”

“C-can I… kiss you?” Pippa stuttered and swallowed.  
Hecate blushed fiercely and gave a shy nod.Pippa leaned towards her and slowly put her lips on Hecate’s. It was like in that moment something fell into its right place in her, like all the pain was suddenly justified. When they parted, Pippa was breathless and put her head on Hecate’s shoulder, whispering:

“I’m so happy now.”  
Hecate wrapped her free arm around Pippa, snuggling her closer.  
“I’m happy you are happy.” Pippa couldn’t resist but sneak more kisses from Hecate, eventually falling backwards on the bed, pulling her along. After a while of passionate kissing, Hecate moved her hand on Pippa’s breast and only when Pippa sighed loudly, she retreated and looked frightened.  
“I’m sorry, I-is this...okay? I wouldn’t want to...I mean, if you don’t want to-”  


Pippa pressed a finger on Hecate’s lips and said:

“It’s alright Hiccup. I want you.” She kissed Hecate as a confirmation of her words.

Slowly Hecate moved her hand back, and shyly started caressing Pippa’s breast. When hearing the pleased sighs, she suddenly surprised Pippa and magicked her shirt away. Pippa smiled slyly and snapped her fingers to make Hecate’s dress vanish. Hecate gasped at the sudden exposure, but then proceeded to get her revenge and remove Pippa’s bra. She kissed her deeply, rolling one of her nipples between her fingers. Hecate’s boldness was a pleasant surprise for Pippa. She shifted their positions, sitting on top of Hecate and looking at the beauty underneath.

“You look absolutely stunning, Hecate Hardbroom.” Hecate blushed and whispered:

“So do you, Pipsqueak.” Pippa smiled, dismounted Hecate and pulled her up to sit.

“Now let’s free your hair, shall we?” She whispered into Hecate’s ear, making her shiver. With a flick of a wrist Hecate’s long hair fell down, and Pippa couldn’t resist the urge to run her fingers through it. She pressed her lips against Hecate’s neck, inhaling her scent and nibbling her way down. Before Hecate even realised, Pippa had vanished her bra and closed her lips around one nipple. Hecate whimpered, digging her nails into Pippa’s hair. 

“Now… I want you naked, Hiccup.” Pippa said, pushed Hecate gently down and added:  
“If that’s alright with you.”

“Yes.” Hecate nodded, “The feeling is mutual.” Pippa waved her hand and the rest of their clothes appeared on the floor. Hecate frowned at it, but then decided to brush it off. Pippa chuckled to herself and made the clothes neatly fold themselves on a chair. 

“Thank you.” Hecate smiled and pulled Pippa into a kiss. Pippa’s hands roamed Hecate’s body, exploring every bone and muscle, feeling the soft skin with her fingertips. Slowly and gently she slid her fingers into Hecate’s wetness which caused the darker witch to gasp for air. As Pippa started massaging her clit, Hecate grasped the sheets and moaned loudly. Steadily she increased the pace, making the other woman’s body to shudder and get closer to her release. Pippa put her head against Hecate’s collarbone while keeping up a rhythm. She switched into a circling motion, increasing the pace a bit more, placing kisses on Hecate’s neck. It didn’t take long from there for Hecate to come, panting and smiling. 

“Everything okay, darling?” Pippa asked, cuddling Hecate.

“I am… more than okay.” Hecate breathed, opening her eyes and kissing Pippa. She then proceeded to follow Pippa’s earlier example, tracing her fingers lower and lower. She glanced nervously at Pippa, to make sure the blonde was enjoying what Hecate has been doing to her. Everything seemed alright, so she continued and slid her two fingers to caress Pippa’s clit. With a steady pace she continued, kissing the pink witch every now and then.

“Hiccup…” Pippa breathed.

“Oh... did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?” Hecate worried and stopped the motion.

“N-no darling, I love what you were doing but… um… could you… finger me?” Pippa blushed and Hecate was baffled for a moment.

“Of course.” She said, magicking two of her fingernails shorter. Carefully she slipped first one finger inside waiting for Pippa to adjust, and when she did, Hecate added a second finger. Pippa started meeting Hecate’s thrusts, her moans growing louder. Soon Hecate felt the muscles around her fingers clenching as Pippa came with a final whimper. Hecate waved her arm, magicked them both clean and pulled the blanket over both of them. Pippa cuddled into Hecate, resting her head on her shoulder. 

“I’m so grateful I found you again.” She said quietly, which made Hecate’s eyes glisten. 

“I am happy I have been found.” Pippa gave a tiny laugh, plunging herself to an upright position and declared:

“So we need to celebrate that with the cake.”  
Hecate giggled “Of course you’d remember the cake.”

“Well it’s meant to be eaten!” Pippa protested jokingly. “I spent a lot of time making it… In the Ordinary way.” She looked proudly at Hecate.  
“You...you MADE it?”

“Yes, not a single spark of magic was used. I wanted to do it properly. Although I left quite a mess behind… The cook at Pentangle’s isn’t gonna be too happy about it.” Pippa laughed. Hecate laughed with her but suddenly stopped and looked at Pippa with glazy, shining eyes and a small smile. “There’s my Pipsqueak.”

“My Hiccup.” Pippa leant to give a kiss on Hecate’s lips. Sinking into the kiss, Hecate waved her hand to make the cake appear. And even though she had to endure a sugar rush mere moments later, she slept well that night. 

  
  


_ All through the night, I'll be awake and I'll be with you. _

_ All through the night, this precious time, when time is new. _

_ All, all through the night today, knowing that we feel _

_ the same, without saying, the same without saying _

Sleeping at last - All through the night

  
  
  
  



End file.
